Wednesday, May 20, 2015

2016 in Iowa is Tower Defense

The February 1st, 2016 caucus in Iowa is the moment when we get to see how the Democrats, Republicans, and other parties have worked to grab psycho-political territory in rural counties producing corn and sorghum. What do the welders, teachers, soy farmers, and pipe-fitters think about the ideas presented by all these presidential candidates?

To have success on 1 Feb, the politicians have to have grabbed and secured mental territory for months (a year!) beforehand. They have had to build zealousy at fried chicken luncheons for a long damn time by now.

This is TD. The towers are the clots of zealous partisans who mobilize to convince the unconvinced to become convinced of the power of their party to change things in a 'good' way. The towers, these field offices and student groups and prayer warrior meetups, are powered-up by visits from the candidates or their agents. To touch the candidate, or just the hem of his sleeve! This is the mojo that gives the 'tower' the energy to reach more, speak more loudly, and to do the needful.

But what of the 'waves' of 'baddies' moving through 2-lane highways moving through places like Bussey or Le Mars? The waves are the agents of the opposition -- competing 'towers', clots of flip-side partisans hunting your redheads or blue-heads to make them into blue-heads or to make them turn red.

You defend your towers, running defense to keep your own community mainly blue or red, while simultaneously moving into disputed territories to flip its color for your own camp.